


Determination... WITH A GUN

by GhostApocalyptic



Series: Ghost's Really Long And Terrible UT Fanfics [2]
Category: Archive- Do Not Search
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 15:53:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15174149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostApocalyptic/pseuds/GhostApocalyptic
Summary: remember when gun memes were funny. this doc was actually annotated so i guess past me already flipped the fuck out about this for me





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> whoops. also, images!

_idk if they even have a first name. they're just "agent" in my mind, so i guess thats their canon name now. but now theres the question: who the heck names their kid "agent"_

**Agent [REDACTED], HUMAN**

**Date: Nov 1, 2035**

**PERSONAL LOG 1 TRANSCRIPT**

[START OF PERSONAL LOG 1]

I’ve been assigned to investigate what happened leading up to the freedom of monsters a couple months ago… back in September, I think. I'm not good at introductions, so I'll just get straight to the point.

[sounds of pages flipping] ...it’s like the… it’s like the X-Files over here. [more pages flipping] I dunno about this. Murder’s one thing to look into, but… Is this a joke? Am I being punked? [sigh]

Really, what I'm supposed to do is, um. See what all the mess is about the magical phenomena in the past few years. We've got pictures, good ol' testimonials, recordings... Yeah. But the only photos we have are from citizens around the area, mostly amateur paranormal investigators and people who happened to be outside. I don’t think a lot of this has credibility considering how most of these “lights” are similar to dust or lens glare. A lot of it looks either doctored or isn’t really useful at all.

Guys at the Bureau said since Mt. Ebbott is in my hometown, I should do it. Because, y'know. Familiarity with the area and what it's like. But I haven’t been back there since I started college. Town's definitely changed since then. The whole deal about this is kind of sketchy in the first place, might I comment, since monitoring regulation or anything reliable won't be applied to me on this case. Way to put me on edge, I feel like I'm breaking the law without a body camera, here...

So first thing on the agenda: get familiar with the people involved- well. Monsters. Monsters involved. And the Ambassador. So, uh, that's the first little thing I'm about to do after I get settled in. 

... I’m really bad at audio logs. I’d do a written one but it’s kinda hard to do while you’re driving everywhere, y’know? I mean, I’m not driving right now, that’d be pretty dangerous, trying to read these docs while driving, but- but you get the idea. I’m a busy person.

[END OF PERSONAL LOG 1]

 

**Agent [REDACTED], HUMAN**

**Date: Nov 2, 2035**

**PERSONAL LOG 2 TRANSCRIPT**

[START OF PERSONAL LOG 2]

So the thing about Ambassador Frisk is that they can’t speak. Kid’s mute. Uses sign language. Had a monster translate for them, his name was, uh… Sans? But um, I already know ASL. Though, their signs were antiq- antig- old. We- they said some things about what happened down there (-not very helpful, however, because the other guy was kind of-) it… cleared things up a little?

[Car honking in distance] One of the things they said was that there were seven humans before them that came to the Underground (that’s what they call the Monster Kingdom, or at least the part under the mountain) and the first one fell in 201X. Just seven. They didn't know names. They didn’t say if they were dead or alive. Presumed dead, remind someone to ask for the bodies if there are any. _ _

_golly, it must be difficult figuring out what happened to them considering they didnt even leave the underground when the barrier fell hmmmmmm_

I'm assuming that maybe the weird sh... phenomena that started in 201X might've had a correlation with the first kid that disappeared. Monsters could've done some magic, I dunno, relating to that? But I'm not even sure what monsters are capable of. We don't really have a record of any magic, well, magic magic. Besides what happened. And the most the monsters are willing to show us or anyone is sparkles and levitation. Parlor tricks and the like. They're probably hiding something important.

Another thing- I asked the kid about some of the stuff that happened after they went missing down there. Showed a few pictures, asked if they recognized faces or scenes. They told me they didn’t know anything about what happened on the surface. They said all that happened on their end was that they made friends. Real vague, kiddo.

Did I mention that Frisk really seems familiar? Like, I feel like we've seen each other before. Maybe on another case, I've handled a few things with kids involved. She- they just. They're shaped like a friend? Is that even still a saying? God. I spent too much time on the internet as a kid. 

[pause]

Oh, forgot to turn this off-

[END OF PERSONAL LOG 2]

Description of Image: A line of light above Mt. Ebbott, with dim orbs surrounding it. Photographer says that it was in motion for several minutes, but disappeared after this photograph. Other eyewitness accounts are of a similar caliber.

Description of Image: A triangular object among the skyline of Fox, [REDACTED]. Appears to be a cloud, but is oddly shaped and appears to have a “halo” around it. Object may be monster in origin. Several eyewitness reports say that the object moved rapidly and in a straight line.

_description: stupid ass photoshop i made at 3 am bc i wanted pictures for some godawful reason.  
_

**Agent [REDACTED], HUMAN**

**Date: Nov 4, 2035**

**PERSONAL LOG 3**

[START OF PERSONAL LOG 3]

I’m not much of a writer.

Ambassador Frisk is a nice kid, and they seem to want to be my friend. They’re quite the character once you try to understand them, and they sure love to make jokes.

I guess they’re just some weird 12-year-old with a lot on their plate. They told me some things, I thought I'd make a list. Might come in handy, later.

  * Their favorite flower is buttercup.
  * King Asgore isn’t very good at naming things.
  * Their mom, Queen Toriel, doesn’t really like King Asgore that much.
  * The monsters called Temmie are some of the smartest monsters on the planet. Their strange dialect is just a result of seclusion.
  * Dog monsters generally have poor eyesight, but a great sense of smell. Like normal dogs.
  * King Asgore loves yellow flower tea (a type of tea you can only get from the Underground) and butterscotch pie.



These are all really meaningless, but nice to know. I guess they just like making friends. Reminds me of myself when I was little.

Everyone is kind of wary about me, though. I guess it’s because I’m government. I know before I got into this work I was pretty wary of government, too, but I guess it must be quite scary for what’s basically aliens to you prying into the stuff that happened leading up to your freedom. 

I hope that I can at least learn something by the time Christmas rolls around.

[END OF PERSONAL LOG 3]

You omitted something important. You had a secret you promised to keep, and betraying someone’s trust was the last thing you wanted to do. It’d happened before.

You sat on the edge of your hotel bed, ending your log. Every hotel was the same. Every day seemed the same. Sameness was your line of work. Same victim, same motive, same arrest, same pay, same outlook. Even if it didn't sound like it.

But today felt... different.

Ambassador Frisk had asked you to spend some time with them at a park outside of town. They liked parks, they said (well, signed), they were a nice place to take a breather. They seemed to be really determined to be your friend, and, well. You're warming up to them. You couldn’t help but find familiarity in them. The way they moved, the way they signed, it all was like you’d seen it all, but at the same time, you were an acquaintance of this child. A complete stranger that they were willing to trust.

Later on in the day, they asked you to keep a secret. Something that doesn’t matter but is super important, anyways. Something you shouldn’t share even if it meant your life.

“I won’t tell. Pinky promise,” you said, holding up your hand.

They smiled in response, but their face turned expressionless as soon as they signed.

" _ Humans are real strong compared to monsters. Do not hurt them even if they hurt you. And do not hurt them if they do not wish to fight. _ "

“Why is it a secret?” you asked, somewhat confused. It probably made sense in context.

Frisk sighed, glancing away from you. " _ I am afraid if humans found they are weak compared to us… you get the idea. _ "

Made sense in context.

They told you more. They told you how monsters’ emotions are connected to their strength, and that the intent of an attack can mean the world to their survival. Considering these facts, they probably told you this because you are one of the most dangerous humans to monsterkind right now. Besides monster hate groups. But you’re involved. Monsters may come to trust you.

You promised to keep it a secret. You know better than anyone else what would happen- what could happen if it got out. You weren’t willing to have that guilt. Even if it meant your job.

You wonder how they came to learn about this. Something in your gut tells you that something happened. And whatever happened in the Underground… you kind of understand. Emphasis on kind of. You don’t know what actually happened. But you think you understand a little better about why everyone’s quite reluctant to talk about it.


	2. and his name is john cenaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

_So the thing about 201X… that’s YOUR fault, isn’t it?_

_I knew it was too good to be true. Our… no, YOUR determination, it has consequences._

_Humans are aware of it even if they don’t know it. Ten months missing is no laughing matter. But we had no clue, didn’t we?_

_...Yeah, I’m stalling. B-but don’t worry, I won’t try to stop you. You’re stronger than anyone, Chara. I know my place._

_…_

_But…_

_..._

_Don’t get too cocky._

_:)_

* * *

The street lights are a buzzing yellow and it dulls your senses. You felt unsafe walking down the street at this time. But it was just a short trip to the convenience store and back to your hotel, so what could hurt? A car honks in the distance.

Something moves out of the corner of your eye. You hear a clicking noise and next thing you know you’re in a pool of your own blood at someone’s feet. The localization of the pain in your chest gives you the impression that someone shot you, but you aren’t sure since you never heard it. You hear two voices, a childish laughter- You won’t die. You inhale sharply, and grit your teeth. You refuse. This is not the resolution.

 

The street lights are a dull buzzing yellow and it makes your head hurt. A car honks in the distance. You’re determined to get back to your hotel room as soon as possible.

You hear someone shouting, but when you look back, nobody is there. You find your hands getting sweaty, and you ask yourself, why are you nervous?? You get a headache, and you wince. It’s been like this for the past week or so, something weird happens, then your nerves decide to go haywire.

* * *

 

**Agent [REDACTED], HUMAN**

**Date: November 10, 2035**

**PERSONAL LOG 4 TRANSCRIPT**

[START OF PERSONAL LOG 4]

I keep getting migraines all of the sudden. Happens almost randomly, but I’ve noticed there’s a pattern to the onset. It’s deja vu.

[sigh] I know that sounds weird. But- but every time I get deja vu, like- this was just now- around 9:30 PM, I was walking to the hotel, and I felt like something had happened but I didn’t realize it and everything was _really_ familiar. Down to every little sound in the distance.

[laughter] I don’t know. I’m just stressed, I guess.

But then afterwards I got this _horrible_ headache. Something weird. I don’t know the cause of it. I think it’s correlated, because the same happened- It’s been seven times that this kind of thing has happened. I don’t know if it’s some sort of magic or I’m-

[ringtone, “The Time Is Now” by John Cena]

Shit! [clattering]

[ringtone stops]

Hello? [pause] Sorry, no, you have the wrong number. [chuckle] Yeah, happens to the best of us.

Some dude calling for a Doctor Gaster. Don’t know any Gasters.

[END OF PERSONAL LOG 4]

 

* * *

 

_Several people have gone missing in the ~21-year period between 201X and 2035, all notably children or teens. The first disappearance is speculated to correlate with the creation of the year 201X, though there is little evidence to support this. Investigations into what caused these anomalies is ongoing._

_Date: September 15, 2035_

_Reports of power outages and brownouts in the areas surrounding Mt. Ebbott. Shortly after, there were a large influx of patients in the local hospitals for seizures and migraines. It is unknown whether or not these events correlate with the Barrier’s breach several days later._

_Date: September 16, 2035_

_For a period of 2 hours, a grey door appeared in the intersection of Briar Street and Peachtree Lane, blocking traffic through the area. Photographic evidence shows no door._

_Missing Persons in Mt. Ebbott Area Since 201X: Akira Akiyama, Alex Kondra, Andrew Stark, Bradley Hale, Chara Chevrolet, Celeste Malek, Duke Tanzer, Eren Mazumdar, Gerard Spender, John Harley, Lorna Forrester, Mika Richter, Papin Justin, Ursa Shorts, Violet Clark…_

* * *

The local police, you found out, aren’t any more helpful than the monsters. They had no clue what was going on, and you wondered how the heck anyone got anything done in this town. Either this was some coverup or you put your expectations too high. 

The sheriff allowed you to examine any and all of the records regarding the disappearances and weirdness, so you were going to stay a while. Look through everything, have a coffee, feel like a lazy slacker for a bit. That stuff. The sheriff, despite her own efforts to clear time, had to leave. She apparently was wrapped up in another case at the moment. Like you said in the last chapter, this town’s changed since you last were here. It’s bigger, more populated, and has a lot of problems.

So, anyways. Along the list of people who’ve gone missing in the past 21 years, you find seven people whose docs refer explicitly to Mt. Ebbott. 

Three of them left (suicide?) notes saying they were going to Ebbott. Others, they expressed interest in the area. It was strange, why Ebbott, of all places? There was no insinuation that there was anything even  _ there,  _ just old legends about gates to Hell or Bigfoot. You suppose that after the first few people died, the idea spread, and it became a sort of Aokigahara-type zone. 

Your thoughts are interrupted by a dinging on the window. Was someone throwing rocks? You cautiously creep to the port, scanning the yard. Who the heck would throw something at a police station window? Are they- oh.

You see a monster that happens to look like some preschool cartoon flower with a smiley face on it. You smile at the thought of a bad joke, but you have to leaf it be. It probably wouldn’t hear you say it. 

It smiles back. Does it want to talk to you? Before you can get that question answered, you suddenly notice a hint of smugness in this creature’s smile. I- A gut feeling tells you that its intentions aren’t peaceful. Your smile starts to fade. 

The flower notices. Its smile grows malicious.

It pulls itself underground before you can react to that.

This isn’t good.


	3. echo echo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and heres where i got stage fright and killed the fic

**Agent [REDACTED], HUMAN**

**Date: Nov 19, 2035**

**PERSONAL LOG 5 TRANSCRIPT**

[START OF PERSONAL LOG 5]

[music playing in background]

So uh, headaches getting worse. Seems whenever I try to call Sans back I feel the same kinda headaches as the other times. He’s been trying to contact me a lot lately, mostly for Frisk. Says it’s important, has something to do with Ebbott. Also asked if I’d seen a skeleton named Papyrus- his brother- around, but judging by the description, no. I haven’t seen any other skeletons than him, actually.

Frisk wants to talk to me about flowers, going back to the first thing. More of an appointment- business meeting, that they proposed, at uh, Fredr ickson Mall. The way he intoned the subject- flowers, though, sounds kind of… ominous. Like he was using a codeword? He sounds like he was using a codeword that I was supposed to know. Well, buddy. I don't know what flowers mean. And... I have a bad feeling about that. Note that if I get killed. Flowers.

[pause]

Speaking of flowers, the other day, I saw a monster that looked like a flower. Out of all the kinds of monsters I’ve seen so far, never really saw any plant monsters. But uh, that flower. Didn’t look too nice. I think it was following me. I think the two- Frisk wanting to talk about flowers and that- are correlated, so uh. Note that, too. Flowers.

So... yeah. Headaches and flowers. Cause of all my problems right now. Not bullets and knives, which is honestly... better, but... [sigh] What the hell even is all this anymore.

[END OF PERSONAL LOG 5]

* * *

 

You barely remember falling asleep after ending your log.

You dream, you think. You don’t think it’s a dream, it’s too real. Those kinds of dreams bother you the most. You’ve had them since you were a teenager, and they’ve muddled your mind with false memories of embarrassing situations and relationships you’re not quite sure ever existed.

But this dream. It feels exactly the same and totally different from those kinds of dreams. You can pick it out from your own memories, but something within you says this happened.

You’re somewhere familiar, you label it as the Underground though you’ve never seen anything about it or even been there. It’s exactly like a cave, a massive stretch of cave, and you can see lights glimmering in the ceiling. It reminds you of stars, but you know you’re underground, so it can’t be. Or maybe it is. Dreams were weird, sometimes things happened simultaneously in them.

You can’t really consciously control where you’re going. You’re wading through water, which sloshes in your shoes and makes you think all sorts of irrelevant things. Like wondering why people find wet socks unpleasant. You don't care about wet socks. You mean, they do feel weird and do all these other things but why wet socks? Why not- Never mind. There's no need for going on a rant about wet socks. It's just some meaningless thing you get caught up on, like a lot of things.

Your thoughts are directed to something else. Someone’s alongside you, someone who looks oddly familiar, but you’re not entirely sure how. He’s your best friend.  We know that . Small like you. A monster, but not a bad one. Son of someone, sorrow fills your chest. You've been through a lot and he was always there to help you.

You wonder why you know all of that.  This doesn't matter .

His voice is familiar. “Something something It’s real quiet, isn’t it, something or other.” You never remember dialogue, so you’re filling in the blanks. You nod, or at least, you think you do.

“I want to show you something cool, Dad and I come here all the time,” he says. You’re at a place with thousands of pale cyan flowers, all slightly glowing. You can hear whispers, and in the distance, a few monsters stand. When they turn their heads towards you, their eyes glow iridescent like cats’. Something tells you that they are afraid. You feel uneasy from this, but you know that is a responsibility. Something that you have to acknowledge. They are fragile, and you are so strong. It would be so easy to hurt them, right? They're like dust- they are dust, all these monsters you could reduce to nothing with little more than will. You are a god in this world. All you have to do is...

You turn back to your friend, those thoughts being replaced with better ones. Less... violent ones. It's best not to think on that stuff for now.  It's creepy. You're creepy for thinking those things. 

You lean down to one of the flowers, and you hear a whisper, “Howdy!” You smile at this.

“Dad says they’re called Echo Flowers, and they repeat anything you say. Isn’t that cool?” your friend says. You nod in agreement, smiling more.

The flower repeats, “Isn’t that cool?”

You wake up, for some reason.

It feels strange to put emphasis on dreams for once, because this is real life, not some narrative. Things are different in real life. So it occurs to you, why is this dream important? Why did you feel the need to question it like it was part of a story you missed out on?

You hazily check the alarm clock on your nightstand. It’s 3 AM. You wish that you could sleep a little longer, but you can't. Everything's uncomfortable and you just can't seem to sleep. Something nags you at the back of your groggy mind, the memories of that dream already starting to fade but one particular subject calls out.

Echo flowers. You know you’ve heard of them before, they were one of the first things you learned about monsters before this job. But to be sure you aren’t going crazy, you google it on your phone. The screen is bright and it makes you wince- one of the benefits of having an older phone. Well. Not "older." The thing is ancient.  20-fricking-19 ancient. You squint and hope you're tapping the right letters.

So anyways. Wikipedia has an article about echo flowers- really just a stub, but enough to learn about what they are.

* * *

 

**This article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.**

Ranunculus recinus is a species of buttercup indigenous to the cave system known as the Underground, a part of the Monster Kingdom. It is defined by its pale blue coloration, bioluminescence, and unique ability to repeat sounds through magic. The blooms of these plants can last for years with minimal care. 

It has been commonly known to carry sounds for long periods of time, particularly speech. There have been records of echo flowers keeping sounds for over two hundred years, though the credibility of this is disputed.

* * *

 

You know the process behind dreams. Something in you told you that echo flowers were important, and now… You need to trust yourself on this.


	4. things will come together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh i forgot i had like 5 different copys of this heres some more actually

**[ERROR]**

**Date: [ERROR]**

**“data.mp3” TRANSCRIPT**

[START OF TRANSCRIPT] 

[ Speaker's voice is unrecognizable due to voice modulation. ] … still a little shaky. [garbled] tells me they don't care. I may need to reset. [silence] Still me. Still them.

[ Audio distortions continue for around a minute, sounds like muted speaking, but nothing decipherable. ]

… I wonder if the fonts are on purpose.

[END OF TRANSCRIPT]

_ Note: I found this in my logs. If this is a reason to be concerned, please notify me. - Agent [REDACTED] _

* * *

 

Fredrickson Mall, the place that Frisk asked you to meet you in, was an old building built in the late 90’s that was also in the middle of hecking nowhere. It took you more than enough time to find your way through a lot of old roads, but you guess it gave you time to think. Thinking helped, but in your honest opinion, it also distracted. Especially when you were driving.

You could say you were mostly worried about how strange this situation was. It was suspicious and there wasn’t enough to go on, and the fact that the place Frisk wanted to meet was in the middle of nowhere didn’t help. Why there, you asked yourself. Why anywhere away from a secure location? You kept your eyes on the road. There wasn’t much to see other than a couple of abandoned cars and grimy bus stops.

When you turned into the parking lot of the mall, you immediately saw Frisk waiting by the door, carrying a backpack. You were put off by this a little, did they really wait outside for you?

They greet you with a smile, but they don’t say much. You’re still uneasy.

As they lead you into the inner part of the mall, you notice that it’s not as abandoned as you think it would be. There are quite a few stores still running here, and monsters of all shapes and sizes are shopping. There are also a few humans, mostly teens. They glance at you and Frisk with typical teenage nervousness around adults and responsible-looking people.

In the northern wing of the mall is a food court, but it’s empty and kind of dusty. An elevator connects the two floors here, but you squint to see a paper duct-taped onto the frame of its door, presumably saying ‘Out of Order.’ Frisk stops at the edge of the food court, and turns around towards you.

“ _ Did you know that monsters turn to dust when they die? This place is like a crime scene to them, but to humans, it’s just dirty, _ ” Frisk says, emoting nothing. “ _ Just a thought, _ ” they add.

If you had a dollar for every time a kid said something kind of freaky to you, you’d have a dollar. Because this has never happened to you. Since when was Frisk ever a weird creepy kid?

Maybe they already were, and you never knew.

“Frisk!” someone shouts, from behind you. Frisk look towards the source of the voice, and smiles.

You turn around to see a skeleton monster wearing a crop top and shorts. He walks up to you two, possibly smiling. You can’t tell, though, since he’s a skeleton.

Frisk signs things a little too quick for you to register. You wish you had been paying attention instead of evaluating the monster’s fashion choices. He looks like a character out of an old cartoon.

“Was he supposed to?” he asks.

Frisk shakes their head. “ _ Doesn’t matter now.  _ ”

He looks to you, suddenly noticing that you’re there. “Oh! You must be the agent human Frisk has been talking about! It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Papyrus.” He shakes your hand. He comes off as silly, gesturing largely and animately, in contrast to the other skeleton you’ve met, Sans.

“Same here,” you say, smiling. You're about to introduce yourself as well, but Papyrus signs something to Frisk that you don’t recognize. (You take a mental note to maybe study the differences of Monster Sign and ASL.) 

They shrug in response. He looks to you again. “So, uh, again, very nice to meet you, Agent! I should get going.” He leaves.

Frisk tells you someone else was supposed to be with Papyrus, but he doesn’t seem to be showing up.

“Who?” is the only response you can form.

“ _ FLOWEY, _ ” they spell. “ _ Remember? _ ” They stare at you intently, expectant of a reply, but you look at them in confusion. You don’t recall anyone named that.

“I don't know who that is.” You feel like you do, but you’re a little unsure.

" _ He's a monster I know. He was supposed to be here. _ " Frisk signs. “ _ I think he got scared.  _ ” It’s not a very clear answer, you notice. Their explanation- wait, did they ask “remember”? You’re sure you caught that. Something isn’t right.

You ask, “Scared of what?”

You’re met with silence and obvious discomfort. The way they’re going about this makes you think they’re a little to used to people knowing what they mean. But you don’t. You barely know them, but it seems they know you a whole lot. 

“ _ You don’t know? _ ” Confusion and concern overcomes their whole expression. It’s strange how expressive they are, before, they-

“I don’t,” I lie. They understand. You don't. Why did you say that?

“ _ That’s okay. I had something else to talk about, too.”  _ They ask you to follow them. You guess you have no other options.

The mall is emptier and emptier the further you get to the other side. You could see the dust hang in the air. It made you uneasy, especially with Frisk’s previous comment. You tried not to think about it too much, since for some reason, it made your head hurt.

* * *

 

**EMAIL EXCHANGE**

**SENDER: ao.tdiv@[ERROR].gov**

**Date: Nov 20, 2035**

**Sent: 9:30 AM**

Notice:  _ The 200135 versions of the files ebtT1X, fcYEBo, GI4kWS, Jls4ns, NGs2rW, oIy3n5, R7L3OP, SYZIgb, sZrwKH, t8UoqE, tatv01, and TMm1qW were rendered unreadable due to corrupted data. We are working to get it fixed. If anyone has information on a cause, please notify your supervisor, then Agent [REDACTED]. In the meantime, please use the earlier 150935 versions. _

 

**EMAIL EXCHANGE**

**SENDER: ao.tdiv@[ERROR].gov**

**RECIPIENT: [ERROR]@fbi.gov**

**Date: Nov 20, 2035**

**Sent: 9:51 AM**

 

This is a mandatory forewarning that we will now be tracking your technology use via statistics acquisition as dictated by the Federal Law Enforcement Surveillance Transparency Act. We have received a warrant to acquire this data, attached in this email is a copy of said warrant. We have reasonable suspicion to back our warrant. If you, Agent [REDACTED], attempt to disable this acquisition or hinder it knowingly without first notifying your supervisor, you immediately will be charged with a misdemeanor for obstructing process of law as an officer of law.

* * *

 

A small indoor garden is on the other side of the mall. Pale blue flowers bloom in the flowerbeds. You hear whispers. You recall something. You don't remember what.

Frisk tugs on your sleeve. “ _ These are echo flowers, _ ” they sign. “ _ After the barrier fell, I thought to plant these here. Monsters wish on them, but for humans... _ ”   They lean to one of the blooms. They gesture you to, as well.

For a moment, all you hear are echoes and silence.

“Isn’t this so cool? I wonder why monsters were sealed away in the first place,” it murmurs.

You can hear other nearby flowers, too.

“...some pizza in the fridge, I know you don’t like grease, so I...”

“Yeah, but I can’t help but think something’s missing.”  

“So? I can swear all I want.”

“...wonder if she ever was there. She would’ve loved these...”

“How are they magic- oh! Ha ha ha!”

Frisk smiles. “ _ I like it. How about you? _ ”

“I think that’s a bit weird,” you say.

“ _ That’s fine, _ ” the child assured you. “ _ Not everyone thinks the same things. _ ”

“How does any of this relate to Ebbott, though,” you say, not ask. “I don’t get it?” You were thinking. Intonation was hard to watch when you were thinking. Frisk does not mind. They understand. You two aren’t that different.

“ _ It’s OK to not get it right now, _ ” they say, “ _ Things will come together, I’m sure of it. _ ”

* * *

 

**Agent [REDACTED], HUMAN**

**Date: Nov 20, 2035**

**PERSONAL LOG 6**

[START OF PERSONAL LOG 6]

At 4:00 PM, I attended a meeting with Frisk at Fredrickson Mall. They told me that monsters turn to dust when they die. I do not know why they believe this to be important.

I met their friend, Papyrus, who is Sans’ brother. He is also a skeleton. He was reportedly missing for the past several days, presumably kidnapped. The Ambassador would not answer my questions about this problem. I understand why it may be an uncomfortable subject. Things like this may take time. 

I believe that Frisk and their colleagues may be holding some sort of secret relating to the anomalous events surrounding Ebbott. Perhaps, many secrets. It is to be expected, since their direct involvement in the matter.

As we were there, Frisk also introduced me to an indoor garden at Fredrickson Mall, one filled with echo flowers. I may visit there more often in the future when I have time.

[END OF PERSONAL LOG 6]

* * *

 

**ADMINISTRATOR INFORMATION**

Times opened: 314

Backspaces: 3002

[ERROR] : True

[ERROR] : 999 Hz

**EMAIL EXCHANGE**

**SENDER: ao.director@[ERROR].gov**

**RECIPIENT: [REDACTED]**

**Date: Nov 20, 2035**

**Sent: 4:41 PM**

**Received: [ERROR]**

Please be advised, your recent memory may change drastically when entering the vicinity of Ebbott. Take note, however, this is to be expected. 

Please use DT-12 and DT-13 for support after entering. The earlier compounds DT-6 and DT-8 have been proven unsuitable for use in the area.

The anomaly must remain in Ebbott. If there are no other options, please notify your supervisor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 17 year old ghost was convinced by like 2035 we'd have actually fixed the government press f


	5. the clock ticks backwards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh more images!

After that day, your headaches began to stop. You don’t know why.

You begin looking into the files you were given for this case, the ones that had all to do with the weird magic and anomalies. Missing people was a piece of this weird puzzle, but not the main point. 

Or was it?

You lay out everything you’ve had in that locked briefcase they gave you. You’d been kind of procrastinating on all of this. 

Your watch says 8:30 PM. 

It was quite a lot of things to process, excuses, blah blah blah. Funny thing- you hadn’t an idea that NASA studied time anomalies. That was new, and unusual of them, being an aerospace agency. You take a look at the data.

The same thing- like 201X, was happening since then. This was not new information. The seconds lost were almost in a pattern, and then… error for the latter quarter of this year. 

Something’s nagging you, saying that it’s something- something that is the obvious answer. You don’t like it. There should be an obvious explanation for all of this, you know what it means but that thought keeps coming back.

It feels like someone’s screaming at you, telling you from behind a wall that the answer is there in front of you but you’re too stubborn to hear it.

You’re not stubborn. Just reasonable. You can’t always jump to conclusions, even if you do tend to.

Your watch says 8:42 PM.

You look at another folder only for a yellow notepad page to fall out of it. You pick the note up, your face scrunched up in intrigue.

_ Don’t send DT-8 Use DT-12 instead.  _

Below it is an addition in messy, scribbly handwriting, like that of a medical doctor’s.

_ RS may be necessary 2 - prog plz review agent _

_ DT-12 unstable with RS-A13 _

_ “DARKER” _

A simple drawing of a hand is scribbled in blue gel ink pointing to “DARKER”. You wonder what that means. 

You look at the rest of the papers in the folder. Nothing you haven’t seen before, just names of missing people. Doesn’t make sense why a note so ominous as that should be in there. Perhaps someone purposefully put it in? Seems unlikely, maybe it was an accident and has nothing-

Yeah, you’re getting that feeling again. 

You don’t know what any of this means, though. You wish you did.

Of course, there are other thoughts, too. Other feelings. You keep remembering- you’re on a case that literally is by most standards, an X-file. You need to figure out magical shit. Magical shit, that phrase is fun to hear in your head. 

So… why exactly are you running around doing stuff like researching missing people and reading data? 

Well, for one, you reason, cases that remain unsolved for nearly 20 years (such as the Chevrolet, Stark, and Malek cases) tend to have a lot of “mystery” around them. While there are cases that are still quite obvious, there’s also… weirdness. Such as the Chevrolet case. That happened when you were still living here in Ebbott, in 201X.

You remember hearing it on the news: some kid went missing slash committed suicide and everyone couldn’t find their body. Then all of the sudden the 201X event happened and everyone was too busy to care.

Wait- before you flashback any further…

You look at the data chart again. The kid went missing in April: you pull up their file, too. Good thing you conveniently were given so many documents. Anyways.

Chara Chevrolet went missing on the night of April 4th, 201X. You look at the data table. The second quarter of the year starts in April, right when… A quick Google search and some math tells you that it was exactly ten months before the 201X event did the thing. Ended? Started? Clipped into February? You guess that’s the right answer.

You take a seat, running your hand through your hair. Something is really telling you that this is correlated. Coincidences don’t happen. Magic exists, so why couldn’t it be?

Take notes, you think. That’ll help, you think. No it won’t. It just looks dumb on paper.

Your watch says 8:30 PM.

You could’ve sworn it was 8:40.

So then, the clock ticks backwards.


	6. christmas II: the christmassing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yeah see i repeat myself endlessly

A few days after Christmas, it gets colder, cold enough to snow, which is a rarity around here. Frisk invited you to a gathering for a monster holiday called Gyftmas, which essentially was Christmas II, the Christmassing. The event was held at a local park near Mt. Ebbott. 

The monsters are an oddball bunch, but there’s a lot of them. Frisk says it’s not everyone, or else there’d be an even bigger crowd. You spot some familiar faces but can’t put a name to some of them.

You’re talking with Toriel when you notice something about Sans, who’s watching Papyrus and Frisk figure out a Rubik’s cube. He looks pretty out there, even more so than usual. His eyes, they’re usually just two little glowing dots in his sockets, are empty and void of light. It makes your gut sink, something’s up.

“Oh, is there something wrong?” Toriel asks, stopping her story about a student of hers.

Something  _ is  _ wrong, but you can’t put your finger on it. You watch as Sans walks towards Frisk, his expression locked, and you can see something- multiple things out of your peripheral, and there’s a snap and a roar as everything goes dark- This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.

 

You’re talking with Toriel when you notice something about Sans. He looks pretty out there, even more so than usual. You feel like something like this has happened before and your smile fades from your face, you start feeling a bit anxious. You look over to Frisk, who’s looking at Sans with a worried expression. 

“Oh, is there something wrong?” Toriel asks. The brief glimpse you get of her face before you direct your attention to Sans tells you she’s concerned.

You get up and run towards Sans. “Sans!” You shout, grabbing his attention. You trudge across the light snow and finally catch up to him.  “Hey, Sans!”

He looks back to you. His eyes light again. “What?” It’s not so much as a question as a response.

You think of a pun. “I just thought of a joke and… I HAVE to tell you it.” Crisis averted? Was there a crisis?

The skeleton’s expression lightens. “Okay, what is it?” 

Crap, what’s the best pun you can think of?

“How do you raise the dead?” You’re met with silence. “You… you pick them up.”

He puts his hand in his jacket pocket, chuckling slightly. The skeleton looks like he would’ve had more of a reaction, but he’s cold. You guess  _ he is  _ cold, he’s a skeleton- never mind. He looks back at his brother and Frisk, who both had solved the puzzle and were both making a loud commotion of it all.

You know something just happened. You can’t help but feel like you just averted something you knew  _ just happened  _ and you’re so-

“You… you saw, right?” He pauses.

You feel your stomach turn in knots, and you’re quite dizzy all of the sudden. “Y-Yeah,” you reply. You look back at Frisk, who gives you a thumbs up, smiling. “I did.”

“Sorry for the trouble.” He looks up at you. You forget that he’s so much shorter than most people, only a foot  taller than Frisk. “And, uh, thanks.” He goes to talk to Toriel.

Frisk spells something out from afar. “ _ DETERMINATION,”  _ they say.

 

You’re still shaken up about what happened with Sans, even after you’ve gone back to your hotel. You don’t know what could’ve happened, yet the memory is so  _ clear-  _ He could’ve killed them. He was advancing, ready to cast something, electric blue magic and it was so  _ bright and loud.  _ But it didn’t happen. You know it didn’t happen. You stopped him. From  _ what?  _ Your head hurts.

You lie down on top of your bed, not even bothering to change your clothes or get under the covers. It’s refreshing to lay down like this, sometimes, even though it wears on blankets. But you can’t find yourself sleeping.

The thought comes to you like a bullet to the chest.  _ Time travel _ . You’ve been using goddamn  _ time travel  _ this entire time and you didn’t know it. It feels like you just figured out the obvious and  _ god  _ how you’ve been stupid.

* * *

 

**AGENT [REDACTED], HUMAN**

**Date: December 28, 2035**

**PERSONAL LOG [] TRANSCRIPT**

[START OF PERSONAL LOG[]]

When I was advised that this case may include… anomalies, I didn’t expect time travel would be so alarming. I wasn't aware of it until now.

Today was… scary. I had a near-death experience, or, maybe… it’s not right. I died. I came back, seconds before something happened, and I managed to stop it from killing me. Somehow. I don’t… I really wish I could put it in better words. 

I don’t really know who’s monitoring my stuff, but if you have an idea of what… “determination” is, please email me. I don’t know who to contact about this.

[END OF PERSONAL LOG []]

* * *

 

You dream that night of something. It’s one of those dreams with the monster child again. For some reason, he’s prevalent in them after you find something out.

“Chara, I don’t think I like this plan,” the child says. He holds your hand with a fuzzy paw.

Your own hand is clammy and pale. 

You say something, but your words escape your grasp.

“I can’t. I don’t know if I can,” he replies.

“Stop lying,” you say. 

* * *

 

**EMAIL EXCHANGE**

**SENDER: [ERROR]**

**RECIPIENTS: ao.director@[ERROR].gov**

**Date: January 6, 2036**

**Sent: 12:11 PM**

 

Agent [REDACTED] has been displaying symptoms of natural RN production, possibly to balance the overwhelming amount of DT the anomaly has been producing. We may need to intervene, perhaps a meeting is in place. We cannot risk a large-scale DIED, nor a RIED.

* * *

 

**MEETING ON JANUARY 8, 2036 TRANSCRIPT**

Participants: Agent [REDACTED], Supervisor [REDACTED], Board Member [REDACTED], [REDACTED], Doctor [REDACTED]

Supervisor: Today’s the first meeting that we’ll be holding in relation to your mission.

Agent: I am aware.

Supervisor: You are to be informed that as by standard for the 20XX Federal Law Enforcement Surveillance Transparency Act that this conversation is being recorded as part of an internal investigation on your progress as a member of law enforcement. Do you understand?

Agent: Yes.

Supervisor: Alright. Now that that’s out of the way. Board Member [REDACTED]?

Board Member: We have been informed that you have inquiries about Determination. Can you clarify on what this means?

Agent: The, ah, Ambassador, they called it that. My understanding of it… is limited. [unintelligible] I believe it is important I am notified what exactly I am being a part of, considering what I’ve been through the past few months.

Supervisor: Describe it.

Agent: Well, for starters, I’ve discovered that magic is real. [chuckle] I mean, uh, that humans have a form of it. Something to do with time travel. In my briefing they told me that the Ebbott case would have [Agent air quotes] "Anomalies" but they would not specify what they meant by that.

Supervisor: … Time travel.

Doctor: [Sigh] [unintelligible] … of course.

Agent: From what the Ambassador has informed, and the previous Royal Scientist of the Monster Kingdom, humans possess a time travel ability that only is active when monsters are around. I have not confirmed this thoroughly.

Supervisor: [unintelligible]

Board Member: This aligns with our data. Have you experienced this phenomenon firsthand?

Agent: I… I don’t know. [sigh] I- I think? It’s hard to remember, the nature of this is still very unclear-

Doctor: Have you experienced deja vu since setting foot in the vicinity of this building?

[Beat]

Agent: Yes.

Board Member [REDACTED] and Supervisor [REDACTED] exit the room. 

Doctor: Agent [REDACTED], this phenomenon is not yet confirmed. We have code named it "Determination," similarly to the Monster Kingdom's code name. Do you have any mode of control over this "Determination" that you know of?

Agent: I don't know. 

Doctor: Have you felt any similar frequent deja-vu while living in Ebbott previously?

Agent: Not that I know of.

Doctor: Thank you for your time, [REDACTED]. I look forward to seeing further reports. You will receive a dossier on what we know of "Determination" before you leave the building. Please know that we will still be monitoring you.

[end of transcript]

* * *

 

**EMAIL EXCHANGE**

**SENDER: ao.director@[ERROR].gov**

**RECIPIENTS: [ERROR]**

**Date: Oct 11, 2035**

**Sent: 4:03 PM**

 

Our source (the monster) has information that leads us to believe the Ambassador is the one that has control over the anomalous events, but we cannot be too sure. 

Agent [REDACTED] is the most likely candidate for the next target.

For our reference, Director [REDACTED] has allowed us to view all personal logs of theirs in the near future. We have sent a notice to the Agent that they will be monitored by a portion of the Bureau. They will not receive the standard physical monitoring systems as they are unreliable for this situation. We will have to rely primarily on their word. The Bureau is well aware that this is in direct violation of the 20XX Federal Law Enforcement Surveillance Transparency Act, yet one must be reminded that this operation is a collaboration between United Nations and [REDACTED], and therefore must remain obscure from public view. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one was actually a wip and i didnt know where any of the numbered logs were gonna be put  
> also again poor naive teen ghost, thinking problems can be fucking solved


End file.
